The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-03-23
farm 9otes.
THE CURRYCOMB FOR COWS.

THE CURRYCOMB FOR COWS.
Who that has seen a cow stand
and rub herself against a post will
not agree that currylng roughly and
thoroughly is as agreeable and neces-
:sary for cows as for horses. They
get comparatively little Of it, as
:horses are usually the pets, and the
Cow, if she has food and shelter, is
expected to look after\her own com
fort otherwise. But the brush and
currycomb, using the former on COWS
thin in flesh and on the more sensi-
tive portions of their bodies, are a
great advantage to cattle of every
kind.
cows AT THE MANURE PILE.
; Cows will often in winter pick at
a pile of horse manure, eating bits of
soiled hay and even straw with evil
dent relish. There is considerable
saline matter in the urine of horses,
and it is this the cows are after. 1t
. shows that they need sailing. There
il also some phosphate of lime in the
spilled manure, and the liking of cows
for it is akin to their habit of chew
ing bones when at pasture. But
phosphate of lime can be furnished
in better form than from the manure
pile. Good feeding will overcome
tiis craving, and the cows surely
deserve it.
YIELD OF GRAPES FROM AN ACRE
AN acre of vines, in rows six feet
ope way and eight the other will
give in round numbers nine hundred
vines per acre. In three years they
will average enough over two pounds
per vine to yield a ton of fruit per
acre, and when in full bearing may
bel kept at this distance apart, to an
average crop Of ten pounds per vine.
This is nine thousand pounds, or
four and a half tons. Even at two
cehts a pound, for which grapes may
beproitably bought for making into
wite, this would give $3.50 per acre;
Or far more, after deducting expense
of management and cultivation, than
can be made from ordinary farm
crops.
DESTROYING RUBBISH IN GARDENS.
Gardens are commonly visited
very early by the various kinds of
noxious insects that destroy the
vegetables grown in them. One
reason for this is that they remain
dormant in their hiding-places under
weeds, pieces of board or clods of
manure. 1t is a common practice to
change the garden spot occasionally,
SO that the plants when they appear
will. not be Immediately disturbed
by their insect enemies. The better
plan is to remove all weeds, litter and
rubbish from gardens. Then late in
the fall pillow the soil, leaving it as
loose as possible, and some time dur
ing the winter cover literally with
manure. This will give plenty of
time,fo % the soluble fertility of the
manure to leach into and be incor-
porated with the soil.
FEEDING BRAN WITH MEAL.
Experienced breeders know that
fattening animals forced too fast be-
come cloyed, and not only do not
receive full benefit from their food,
but it becomes clogged in their stom-
achs and actually does harm rather
than good. 1t is a well ascertained
fact that only the particles of food
brought in contact with saliva are
digested, and in whole grain or meal
this food is too compact to allow the
saliva to penetrate it.. Just here is
where a small amount of bran is so
beneficial. 1t is light and porous,
serving in winter much the same
purpose that fress grass does in sum-
mer. All feeders know that a little
meal given to fattening animals at
grass has a wonderful effect. The
green heritage is not only nutritious
itself, but it makes other food more
easily digestible.
IA CHEAP HENS NEST.
An exchange gives the following:
A very cheap nest may be made by
saving a barrel through the centre,
thereby forming two tubs; in the
bottonl Of each damp earth to the
depth Of six inches should be placed,
scoopihg out the centre so that the
eggs will lie close together. Still
better is to place "a sod with a por-
ton of the earth removed from the
| centre of the tub, put a little straw